Burial-box.



UNITED STATES l PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB WI'ITIG, OF MARINETTE, WISCONSIN.

BURIAL-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,736, dated November '7, 1899. Application filed September 26,1899. Serial No. 731,733. (No model.)

To all whom/ it may concern:

Be itknown that I, JACOB WITTIG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marinette, in the county of Marinette and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Burial-Boxes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to burial boxes and caskets mainly intended to receive cofns for transportation or for final burial; and the object of my invention is to provide a light and comparatively inexpensive burial-box having great strength and especially capable of resisting the otherwise crushing weight of earth placed upon it, which often crushes also in a short time the coffin placed therein. I attain this object by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a burialboX constructed in accordance with my invention, one of the lids being shown partly lifted and the other turned over in an open position. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section through one of the end walls of the same, showing the interlocking engagement of the cleats of the cover with the stepped recesses in the top of said wall. the hook-and-eye fastenings, one or both of which are used to connect the lids together between their ends.

In said drawings, A represents the sides, B the bottom, and O the ends, of the burial-box.4 Said parts are made of boards well Iitted together and additionally united by means of moldings b around the bottom. The upper edges of the ends C are beveled upward at c toward the center, and near said center they are recessed, partly to obtain chambers d to receive the ends of the longitudinal cleats f of the covers F, but mainly to obtain shoulders e for engagement with the inner edge of said cleats, and thus become positively interlocked at the points e to prevent the spreading apart of the upper edges of the sides B under any weight or pressure brought to bear upon the covers F. Each cover consists of a long board reinforced on the under side along its outer edge with a cleat f its whole length and a series of short cleats h transversely of Fig. 3 shows perspective views of the board F to prevent it from warping. The outer edge and ends of each cover are preferably ornamented with a molding e'. Care is taken not to secure the short end cleats 7L on the extreme ends of the boards F, but to leave a space between them and the moldingz' to constitute at each end a pocket 7c to receive the beveled edges c of the ends, so that their shoulders e will enter into engagement with the edge of the cleats f, and therebybrace the parts together. The outer edges of the covers F are connected to the upper edge of the sides A by means of hinges Z, suitablylocated thereon.

To strengthen and stiffen the covers along their meeting-ridge, one of them is provided with a bar of T-iron M, secured thereto, and the other cover is adapted to rest upon the flange or head of said iron. To unite the meeting edges of the covers together at points between their ends,the cover resting upon the flange of the T-iron is provided with pendent pins n, secured to its under side, which are made to enter into engagement with perforations p in said Iiange of the T-iron. If the T-iron bar is dispensed with, small plates Q are secured in its place to the under side of one of the covers, and said plates have an eye q to receive the pin n of the corresponding fastening. The ends of the bars M rest upon the upper edge of the ends C of the burialbox, and thus greatly help the covers to sustain the heavy load placed thereon. Although each one of the covers has been described as made of a long board with'a single cleat along one edge, said covers may be made of short boards extended crosswise of the covers,with two long cleats to unite them.

Having now fully described my invention, I claim- 1. A burialbox consisting of a bottom board, with two side boards, and two end boards, the latter being provided with two upwardly-beveled edges,having recesses, and shoulders e formed by said recesses, with two covers hinged to the sides, each cover having a cleat along its edge to engage with the recesses and a pocket 7e at each end to receive the shoulders on the upper edges of the end boards, substantially as described.

2. In a burial-box the combination of a bot- IOO tom board, two side boards, and two end l plate havingaperforation to receive said pin, boards, the latter being provided With two substantially as described. xo upwardly-beveled edges, havingrecesses, and I In testimony whereof I afx my signature shoulders @formed by said recesses, with two in presence of two witnesses.

covers hinged to the sides, each cover having JACOB VITTIG. a cleat along its outer edge to engage with l Vitnessos: the recesses, a pendent piu projecting from L. K. MACNEILL,

one of the covers and from the other cover a 1I. P. GREENE. 

